Roman had mulled over these thoughts while he put his equipment away. When he was done he entered the door he’d taken to the roof and was down the stairs and out the front door of the building in just a few seconds.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t known he’d been spotted on the roof and hadn’t counted on the FBI agent’s response being so quick, so he was surprised by the command to halt when he walked out of the front door. He paused for just a second before he pulled his pistol, whirled around in a blur, and popped off two shots. The startled agent was dead before he hit the ground. The other two agents he’d seen as he turned weren’t slackers, and Roman’s body was invaded by four center-mass bullets before he had time to refocus his aim. He dropped to the ground without a sound. Baker and Cox hurried to Roman’s body, and Baker kicked his gun away.
Two nurses had been discussing rare diseases in the lobby of the building where they’d gone on break when they heard the gunshots. They looked out the front door of the building in time to see Roman drop. They hesitated until they saw the two gunmen go up to the wounded man and kick his gun away. Their training directed them to go to the injured man and see if anything could be done for him, but they had no idea what had happened or who the men were who were shooting at each other.
They cracked opened the door, and one of them called, “What’s going on?” not necessarily expecting an answer.
Baker stood up, took out his credentials, and stepped briskly over to the door. The nurses backed away but came forward again when Baker held his credentials against the window where they could see them. “My name is FBI Agent Justin Baker, and the guy on the ground just tried to assassinate a patient in the intensive care ward at the medical center across the street. But don’t worry about him, see what you can do for the agent that’s down,” he inclined his head toward his fellow agent.
One of the nurses, Trudy according to her ID, hurried to the agent while the other hurried over to where Roman’s blood was pooling under his body. Baker followed Trudy to the agent’s body. She took his carotid pulse and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I think he’s gone. I’ll go back in and get a stethoscope to make sure.” She immediately got up and hurried back to the building. While she was there, she called the emergency room and alerted them to what had happened in as few words as possible. By the time she got back to Baker and the downed agent, they could both hear the screech of the ambulance. Trudy listened to the agent’s carotid artery with the aid of the stethoscope and shook her head. “There’s no heartbeat.” She examined his wound. “I think your killer got him directly in the heart. He was probably dead before he knew he’d been shot.” She got to her feet.
“Where are you going now?” Baker asked looking up at her with narrowed eyes partly because of the intensity of the sun behind her and partly because the death of a fellow agent always hit him hard. He was always dazed by the knowledge it could have easily been him lying of the ground. He had cheated death more than once before, and if he’d been the one who shouted at Yarborough, Death might have collected him instead of the other agent.
“I can’t do anything for your friend, but maybe I can do something to help the other man.” She arrived at Roman’s body only seconds before the paramedics did. They took a gurney out of the ambulance. One of the paramedics pivoted toward Cox and asked him to help him, and his partner pick up Roman’s substantial body. Cox helped them, and after they had secured the gurney in the ambulance, they were quickly on their way back to the medical center. The nurses rode with them. One of them had to ride in the front of the ambulance because Baker was in the back as regulations required. That was in case Yarborough attempted to give the attendant any trouble. The paramedic smiled slightly when Baker informed him. He’d never seen anyone survive four bullets to the torso much less be lucid enough to cause problems. However, he didn’t argue with Baker who was obviously agitated.
As the ambulance pulled away, Cox took out his cell phone and dialed Ken’s number. Ken had given his number to Cox the night before in case Cox needed anything from him.
“Special Agent Ken Jackson.”
“Agent Jackson, this is Agent Cox. We got Yarborough. He’s on his way to the emergency room at the medical center with Agent Baker riding along. Unfortunately, Yarborough got the other agent that was with us.”
Ken wasn’t the least bit surprised to discover that Yarborough was the shooter. “That’s too bad. How’s the agent doing?”
“I’m afraid he’s dead,” Cox said, sorrow evident in his voice. “But Yarborough is still alive though I’m not sure if he’s going to be that way long. Baker and I each got him with two shots.”
“Ok. I’m sorry the agent got shot, but I’m glad you got Roman. I’ll go down to the emergency room when we’re done here to check up on him and make sure he’s properly guarded.” Ken mentioned Roman’s name loud enough to be sure Morgan would hear. That was part of a plan he’d been working over in his mind.
“Yes, sir. I’ll see you there, but I’ll have to wait until somebody comes for the agent’s body.”
“I understand.” Ken closed his flip phone and turned to everyone in the room. He reported all he knew about what had transpired across the street.
The nurses had been tending to the doctor’s wound while Ken talked and another doctor showed up to watch over Yarborough before the injured doctor was wheeled away to another room by several other nurses who came into the room with a gurney. One of the nurses already in the room went with the gurney while the other nurse stayed to help the doctor with Yarborough. The doctor picked up Morgan’s chart.
“Anything you need Dr. Richards?” The nurse asked.
“Not just yet. Let me study the chart, and I’ll tell you.”
The nurse turned to Ken. “So the guy that shot the doctor has been caught?”
“He has,” Ken nodded. “But he wasn’t trying to shoot the doctor. He was aiming at Morgan, and the doctor merely got in the way.”
“I already had that figured out,” she said with a frown. She knew nobody would have tried to kill the doctor. He was a good doctor and a really nice guy. He was even nice to all the nurses which couldn’t be said for all the doctors in the medical center. She looked at Ken with the same frown plastered all over her face. “Not that you asked, but I think the doctor will be okay. His shoulder wound wouldn’t have hit anything vital though I’m sure he’ll be out of commission for a while.”
“Well I’m glad it wasn’t serious,” Ken said without thinking.
The nurse instantly came to the doctor’s defense with her frown of disapproval turning to anger. “What do you mean it wasn’t serious? Anytime a bullet tears into someone’s body it’s serious. I only said the bullet didn’t hit anything vital not that the doctor wasn’t injured.”
Ken held up his hands. “Whoa. I didn’t mean it like that. I know no bullet wound is to be taken lightly. I only meant that I’m glad the doctor is going to be okay.”
“Okay,” the nurse said. “I’m sorry I popped off. It’s just that the doctor was simply doing his job caring for your prisoner and he got shot for his trouble.”
Chapter 55
“So Yarborough is not dead?” Robert asked ignoring the argument between Ken and the nurse. He wanted to get at what was important.
“No. He’s on his way to the emergency room. Apparently, Cox and Baker each shot him twice,” Ken said.
“And he survived?” Jenny asked her eyes growing wide. One of the classes she’d taken had been about various kinds of trauma, one of which was bullet wounds. So her surprise was understandable.
Ken nodded. “With four bullets in him I don’t know how, but that is what Cox said.” Ken turned to Adam with an abrupt change of subject. “You ready to try?”
“I don’t know if I’ll get anything more than last night, but I’m willing to try. But first I have a suggestion.”
“What’s that?” Ken asked.
Adam turned to Robert. “Why don’t you ask Morgan about
Molly’s murder? I have had some luck seeing old events when those events are brought to the forefront of people’s memory.” He said all this quietly to avoid giving Morgan advanced warning.
Robert nodded though what Adam was able to accomplish was still beyond his understanding. He walked to the bed while staring down at Morgan. “What can you tell me about Molly Drummond’s murder about twenty years ago?”
“Molly who?” Morgan said.
“Molly Drummond, my wife.”
Adam touched Morgan’s arm and immediately experienced his usual symptoms. The nurse saw him turn red and gently shook him which brought him out his vision. “Are you all right?” Concern was evident on her face. His symptoms could indicate he was suffering from any number of different maladies. She had no idea what he’d just experienced was normal for him.
“I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy there for a moment. I can’t stand the sight of blood.” He figured that was common enough that the nurse would probably buy it even though no blood was currently visible.
“You’d better sit down for a few minutes.” She knew no blood was visible, but she didn’t question Adam about it because what he’d experienced was no concern of hers. All she cared about was his symptoms weren’t normal, and sitting was probably best. She supported him while she pulled him over to a chair much like the nurse had the night before. And, like the night before, he sat there until he thought he had been there long enough to satisfy the nurse. “Robert, can I see you and Ken in the hallway, please.”
“Certainly,” Robert said, and Ken nodded. Both of them followed Adam into the hallway.
“Well?” Robert said as soon as Adam had closed the door.
“It worked,” Adam said. “I saw him pouring gas all over a car with a woman and man inside.”
“You saw Molly then?”
“I can’t be absolutely certain it was Molly as I was looking at her through the windshield and the nurse interrupted my vision, but the woman was blonde, and she resembled the pictures I have seen of your wife. So even if it wasn’t your wife, Morgan has killed somebody by burning them up in a bright yellow car.”
A look of astonishment crossed Robert’s face. Maybe he finally had his answer. “Did you say a yellow car?”
Adam nodded. “I did. I assume the color is significant.”
“Indeed it is. The car was badly burned, but the technicians were able to extract the VIN on the dash, and though it was damaged, they were able to read the number. The car had been reported stolen, and it was a bright yellow car before being torched.” Robert finished with a broad smile.
“Now that you mention it, I do remember reading that in the notes you gave me before, so I guess that proves Morgan is the one that killed your wife and the other guy and who stole Mary Beth.”
“It does as far as I’m concerned. It’s not enough evidence for a courtroom, but that scarcely matters at this point since the doctor says Morgan doesn’t have a chance of surviving. I’m simply glad to finally know who was actually responsible for Molly’s death.”
“Well I’m glad I could help,” Adam said with a self-satisfied smile. He always enjoyed happy outcomes. Unfortunately, most of his adventures as a finder didn’t have such gratifying endings. But he would take this victory and be glad for it and glad for the closure he was able to give Robert. He knew Robert would pass the information along to Richard as well.
“Let’s go back in,” Ken said. “I have an idea.”
The three of them went back into the room. Ken approached the bed. “Do you have any idea who would have tried to kill you…twice or actually three times?” Ken remembered that Miranda tried to get to Morgan last night in the hospital.
“I do not,” Morgan said.
“Well, I think we do. Do you know who ordered your hit?”
“Probably. Though I’m not sure why. I didn’t screw up the kidnapping.” He pointed at Jenny with a shaky hand. “She did.”
“So you do know who ordered your murder.” He put extra emphasis on the word murder trying to give Morgan a jolt.
“As I said, probably. But it’s not something I’m going to tell you. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a rat.”
We’ll see, Ken thought. “Do you happen to know a woman named Miranda Yarborough and a man named Roman Yarborough?” Ken was again trying to shock Morgan, and his question had the desired effect.
Morgan feebly placed his hand on his heavily bandaged chest. “Are…are you…telling me…,” he breathed deeply with the effort of putting his anguish and anger into words.
Ken nodded with a smile. “I do indeed. You were shot by one of your children while the other one inadvertently shot the doctor while trying to kill you.”
“Why that dirty…I’ve always been loyal…I’ll kill…” He raised his arm and feebly shook his fist in the air. “Donati you…” He stopped shaking his fist because it was taking too much effort. His arm dropped back to the bed. Then he paused as he thought about what he’d been told and what he heard earlier. “And your agents shot Roman?” he said in a milder tone.
“How did you…” Ken acted surprised though he’d deliberately spoken loudly when talking to Cox earlier.
“I may be hurt, but the shot didn’t affect…my hearing,” Morgan said. “So I did hear you say Roman was shot.”
“You did,” Ken answered putting on a sad face for effect. It wasn’t difficult because the fact that Yarborough had been shot only served to remind him that another agent had fallen while he was in charge of the operation. He felt responsible even though he’d only followed guidelines that had been laid down by any number of agents that had come before him and his instincts for emergency tactics had been carefully honed. However, there was no ignoring the fact he was in charge and responsible for what happened to his people.
“What about Miranda?” Morgan interrupted Ken’s musings.
Ken was ready with his trump card. He hoped when he played it Morgan would fold his hand and give them information about Donati and his organization. Information was why he’d started down this path in the first place. He had to keep pushing. “Miranda is dead.” He paused to let that gem sink in and then began again with his full frontal assault. “We believe Roman killed her. We also believe Miranda is the one who shot you.”
“But…that’s just not…Roman killed…Miranda shot…that rat Donati…” Morgan sputtered out his words not able to express a coherent thought.
“I heard you twice mention Donati’s name. Do you think that’s who ordered your hit?” Ken asked knowing that was the most likely scenario.
“I’m sure it is. All because of her,” He pointed at Jenny again. Then he placed his hand on his bandaged chest again. “This is all her fault.”
Ken had one more shock to administer. “You do know you’re dying, don’t you. If not, you definitely need to know. Maybe then you can make peace with whatever demons haunt you.” Ken thought that last was almost poetic.
Morgan must have thought so too. “Are you turning philosophical on me now FBI?”
“I thought it was a nice turn of phrase, but I meant it. You are dying.” Ken let that one hang in the air without a follow-up.
“I don’t believe you. I think you’re trying to trick me into making some death-bed confession or something. I know I’ve been shot and I’m in a lot of pain—but dying. Nah. Can’t be. I’ve been shot before, and it hurt a lot worse than this and I’m still around. Besides, I don’t have anything to confess.”
Ken held his smile as tight as he could to avoid laughing out loud. If a more ludicrous statement had ever been made he didn’t know when it had been made or who made it. Morgan with nothing to confess—what a joke. “But what about the kidnapping? You expressed anger at Jenny here,” he pointed at Jenny who was far enough from Morgan’s death bed that Morgan couldn’t reach her if he tried, “about screwing it up. If that’s not a confession, I don’t know what is.”
“I only…said that…” he paused, wracked with p
ain as his body spasmed. One of his monitors starting going haywire.
Dr. Richards examined the monitor. “I think that’s about enough. You’re upsetting Mr. Mogan. And he needs rest.”
“But…,” Ken started to say.
“No buts. Shoo,” The nurse stepped in and waved her hands towards the door. “Leave before I call security.”
Ken smiled at that one. He knew he outranked any security guard and because one of their members had been killed, they would no doubt see things his way. But he knew they’d been there quite a while and Morgan probably did need rest if they had any hope of getting information from him. Therefore, Ken acquiesced to the nurse’s command. “She’s right. Let’s go,” he said leading his group out of the room.
Robert turned on Ken as soon as they were in the hallway. “You certainly didn’t put up much of an argument.”
“That’s true,” Ken admitted. “But did you see Morgan’s face. It was as though he was about to stroke out. We don’t want him dying on us.”
“True enough. But we shouldn’t wait too long…”
“We won’t. I thought we could go see what we can get out of Yarborough before he dies.”
“Oh?” Robert said. “Did you hear something you didn’t pass along to the rest of us?”
“No,” Ken said. “But how long do you think someone is going to live with four bullets in his chest?”
“I couldn’t believe it the first time when you said he’s still alive,” Jenny interjected.
“Cox hasn’t called again, so I don’t have any information to the contrary. Therefore, let’s go.”
The Dog Who Ate The Flintlock Page 39